Designs for Phase One were done by Studio Bryan Hanes and Urban Engineers. The construction restored and maintained much of the existing infrastructure, and carried the industrial scale and character of the site through to platforms, benches, and guardrails throughout the park. Environmental graphics were done by Cloud Gehshan. Construction funds were raised by our partners at the Center City District Foundation.

Can I host an event at the Rail Park?

The Rail Park is a public park of the City of Philadelphia. For information about holding an event at the Rail Park, please visit the Parks & Recreation website.

What is the Rail Park?

The Rail Park is a vision for a three-mile linear park that will run along two former Reading Railroad lines just north of Center City Philadelphia.

When complete, the park will stretch across 50 city blocks, connecting 10 neighborhoods to Fairmount Park, Center City, and some of Philadelphia’s most important cultural institutions. The Rail Park will serve as a series of linked neighborhood parks, a shared public space, and a destination for visitors from near and far.

The first phase of the park is complete. It’s free and open to the public every day.

What is Phase One?

Phase One is the first quarter-mile section of the Rail Park to be completed and open to the public.

The public greenspace runs along Noble Street, just east of Broad, and ramps up onto the Viaduct toward Callowhill Street.

There are two entrances to Phase One: a wheelchair accessible entrance at Broad and Noble Streets, and a stairway on Callowhill between 11th and 12th Streets.

The History

What was the original use of the site?

The site for the Rail Park stands on two former Reading Railroad lines that brought people and freight in and out of Center City.

What has changed since trains stopped running?

Since the trains stopped rolling, the unused tracks have fallen into disrepair. With the exception of Phase One, which has been completely transformed into a beautiful, open public park, the rest of the site is now standing vacant, waiting to be turned into something new.

Another significant change is that when I-676 was built, part of the Viaduct was demolished. Rather than connecting all the way into Reading Terminal as it originally did, the Viaduct now ends at Vine Street—and when it opens to the public it will offer incredible skyline views.

What is the Viaduct?

The Viaduct is an elevated section of unused rail line that reaches from the site of Phase One down to Vine Street, then arcs back northward and east toward Fairmount Ave. When complete, this wide, wending section of the park will overlooks city streets and offer incredible skyline views.

What is the Cut?

The Cut is an open air section of land that runs below street level, connecting the Viaduct to the Tunnel. It runs from North Broad Street near the old Inquirer Building to behind the Rodin Museum, where 22nd St meets Pennsylvania Ave. It’s lined with 30’ high stone walls and crossed by a series of bridges that support the city’s north and south bound streets.

What is the Tunnel?

The Tunnel is an unexpectedly beautiful space that’s 50 feet wide and extends 3,000 feet underneath Pennsylvania Ave from 22nd to 27th Streets. Open air shafts in the streetscape above illuminate the space with natural light, while the high stone walls and vaulted brick ceilings reach 25 ft high.

The Vision

How long will the full park be?

When complete, the Rail Park will reach across three full miles. It will connect 10 different neighborhoods, spanning 50 city blocks. It will soar overhead, weave between streets, and even run underground. It will be twice as long and twice as wide as New York City’s High Line.

All told, it will be an incredible, green, inviting public space for all.

What are the plans for Phase 2?

Now that Phase 1 is complete and open to the public, we’re working with our partners on plans for the next section of the park. The conversation is still underway, and you can help bring the next phase of the park to life.

Friends of the Rail Park is a nonprofit organization with one simple mission: to bring the Rail Park to life. We’re raising funds, rallying the community, and leading the conversation about the Rail Park.

Now that Phase 1 is open, we’re working with Center City District and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to oversee maintenance and programming—making sure this park serves Philadelphia and visitors alike as a beautiful, lively, open, inviting public space for all.

How is the Rail Park different from the High Line?

Both the Rail Park and New York City’s High Line are inspired by the Promenade Plantee in Paris, which opened in 1993. Like the Promenade Plantee, the Rail Park has sections that are elevated (the Viaduct), below street level but open to the sky (the Cut), and running underground (the Tunnel). Our site is twice the length and twice the width of the High Line and our vision includes pedestrian pathways, dedicated bicycle lanes, programming spaces, and gathering places for residents and visitors alike.

I want the Rail Park. How can I get involved?

If you believe in the Rail Park, help us bring the full three-mile vision to life.

Become a member of Friends of the Rail Park. As a member, you’ll be part of the community that’s turning this unused rail line into a public space for all. You’ll also receive updates on events, news, and progress as we bring the park to life.

When the full Rail Park is complete, it will be a new way for people to experience this city and travel across it. It will help connect communities, inspire neighbors to meet, inspire better health and wellness, provide space for engaging with the arts, and provide a much-needed greenspace for Philadelphians and visitors alike.

What will the Rail Park do for Philadelphia?

The Rail Park will have a positive impact on the quality of life for all Philadelphians, as well as visitors from near and far.

When the full three-mile park is complete, it will provide an entirely new transportation path for pedestrians and bicyclists running across Philadelphia, just north of Center City. It will provide open green spaces for all kinds of programming, enhancing education, culture, health and wellness, and the arts.

It will also spark local economic growth, elevating Philadelphia as an attraction for visitors and tourists from around the region and around the world.